阅读说明：本技术 照明单元 (Lighting unit ) 是由 保罗·斯巴罗 于 2019-02-08 设计创作，主要内容包括：一种用于工具或仪器的照明单元,其包括壳体、壳体内的电池(100)、灯泡(103)以及位于壳体内并将灯泡连接至电池的电路(102)。壳体具有开关部分(96),并且电路的一部分被安装在开关部分上,使得开关部分(96)能够被移动以断开和接通电路(102)。安装装置(90、92)布置成将壳体安装在工具或仪器中以绕旋转轴线旋转。(A lighting unit for a tool or instrument includes a housing, a battery (100) within the housing, a light bulb (103), and circuitry (102) within the housing connecting the light bulb to the battery. The housing has a switch portion (96) and a portion of the electrical circuit is mounted on the switch portion such that the switch portion (96) can be moved to open and close the electrical circuit (102). Mounting means (90, 92) are arranged to mount the housing in a tool or instrument for rotation about an axis of rotation.)

1. A lighting unit for a tool or instrument, the unit comprising a housing, a battery within the housing, a light bulb and an electrical circuit within the housing and connecting the light bulb to the battery, the housing having a switch portion on which a portion of the electrical circuit is mounted such that the switch portion can be moved to open and close the electrical circuit, and mounting means arranged to mount the housing for rotation about an axis of rotation.

2. The lighting unit of claim 1, wherein the housing comprises an outer wall extending about the axis of rotation.

3. A lighting unit as claimed in claim 1 or claim 2, comprising two parallel coaxial shaft portions, each shaft portion being arranged to be rotatably supported in the tool or instrument.

4. The lighting unit of claim 3, wherein said bulb is housed within one of said shaft portions.

5. A lighting unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the switch portion has a cam formed thereon and the cam has a cam surface which can be depressed to complete the electrical circuit.

6. A lighting unit as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the switch portion is movable between a first position in which it opens the electrical circuit and a second position in which it closes the electrical circuit.

7. A tool or instrument comprising a body and a lighting unit, wherein the lighting unit is according to any one of the preceding claims.

8. The tool or instrument of claim 7, wherein the body defines an opening into which the lighting unit is removably insertable, and the opening is shaped so as to support the lighting unit when inserted therein.

9. A tool or instrument according to claim 7 or claim 8 when dependent on claim 6, wherein the switch portion is arranged to be frictionally retained in each of the first and second positions.

10. A tool or instrument according to claim 7 or claim 8 when dependent on claim 6 wherein the switch portion is spring biased towards the first position.

11. A tool or instrument according to any one of claims 7 to 10 wherein the housing is movably mounted in the body so as to be movable between a first position and a second position, and the body includes a switch surface arranged to act on the switch portion to complete an electrical circuit when the housing is in the second position.

12. A tool or instrument according to claim 11 wherein the switch portion of the housing has a housing cam surface formed thereon, the housing cam surface being arranged to act through the switch surface when the housing is moved from the first position to the second position to complete an electrical circuit.

13. A tool or instrument according to claim 11 or 12 wherein the switch surface is shaped to form a fixed cam surface and the switch portion has a contact surface thereon arranged to act through the fixed cam surface when the housing is moved from the first position to the second position to close the switch.

14. A tool or instrument according to any one of claims 7 to 13, wherein the housing is rotatably mounted in the body and arranged to rotate between the first and second positions.

15. The tool or instrument of claim 14 wherein the housing is rotatable about an axis of rotation and has an outer wall that curves about its axis of rotation.

16. The tool or instrument of claim 15, wherein a portion of the curved outer wall is exposed such that the housing is rotatable between the first position and the second position by pushing on the outer wall.

17. A tool or instrument according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the housing further comprises side walls forming the flexible portion.

18. A spirit level comprising a main body, a bubble vial mounted in the main body and a lighting unit, wherein the lighting unit comprises a housing, a battery within the housing, a light bulb and an electrical circuit within the housing connecting the light bulb to the battery, the housing having a switch portion on which a portion of the electrical circuit is mounted such that the switch portion is movable to open and close the electrical circuit.

19. The level according to claim 18 wherein said housing is slidably mounted in said body and arranged to slide between said first and second positions.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a lighting unit. It is particularly suitable for illumination of tools and instruments, such as levels, but is also applicable to other areas where small area illumination is required.

Background

It is known to provide illumination on the level to improve the visibility of the bubble and the marking of the bubble alignment. Similarly, illumination in other instruments is also well known. However, levels and other instruments are often used in wet or dirty conditions and known lighting systems may become unreliable if they become wet or dirty. They are also complicated to manufacture and assemble.

Disclosure of Invention

The invention provides a lighting unit, for example for a tool or instrument, the unit comprising a housing, a battery within the housing, a light bulb and an electrical circuit within the housing and connecting the light bulb to the battery, the housing having a switch portion on which a portion of the electrical circuit is mounted so that the switch portion can be moved to open and close the electrical circuit, and mounting means for mounting the housing for rotation about an axis of rotation.

The housing may include an outer wall extending about the axis of rotation. The housing may comprise two parallel coaxial shaft portions, each arranged to be supported in a tool or instrument. The housing may be rotatable about an axis of rotation and may have an outer wall that is curved about its axis of rotation. The lighting units may form a fingerwheel.

The housing may further include a sidewall forming the switching portion. The side wall may have a cam mounted thereon. The cam may have a generally axial cam surface facing the lighting unit.

The invention also provides a level comprising a body, a bubble vial mounted in the body, and a lighting unit, wherein the lighting unit comprises a housing, a battery within the housing, a light bulb, and an electrical circuit within the housing. A housing having a switch portion which may be, for example, a flexible or movable portion, and a portion of the electrical circuit is mounted on the switch portion such that the switch portion can be moved to open and close the electrical circuit.

The body may define an opening into which the lighting unit may be removably inserted. The opening may be shaped to support the lighting unit when the lighting unit is inserted into the opening.

The switching section is movable between a first position in which the switching section opens the electrical circuit and a second position in which the switching section opens the electrical circuit. The switch portion may be arranged to be frictionally retained in each of the first and second positions. Alternatively, the switch portion may be spring biased toward the first position.

The housing is movably mounted in the body. The housing is movable between a first position and a second position. The body may comprise a switch surface arranged to act on the switch portion to complete the electrical circuit when the housing is in the second position.

The switch portion of the housing may have a housing cam surface formed thereon. The housing cam surface may be arranged to act through the switching surface when the housing is moved from the first position to the second position, thereby completing the electrical circuit.

The switch surface may be shaped to form a fixed cam surface and the flexible portion may have a contact surface thereon arranged to act through the fixed cam surface when the housing is moved from the first position to the second position, thereby closing the switch.

It will be appreciated that there may be cam surfaces on one or both of the housing and the fixed body. If there are two cam surfaces, they may interact. If there is only one, a switch surface may be provided to act on or through the cam surface, which may be a simple flat surface.

Alternatively, instead of using a cam, the switch surface may be part of or supported on an elastic member and may be arranged to be in contact with the switch portion of the lighting unit when the lighting unit is in the second position.

The housing may be slidably mounted in the body and arranged to slide between a first position and a second position.

Alternatively, the housing may be rotatably mounted in the body and arranged to rotate between the first and second positions. The housing may be rotatable about an axis of rotation and may have an outer wall that curves about the axis of rotation. The curved outer wall may be at least partially exposed such that the housing may be rotated between the first position and the second position by pushing on the outer wall. In this way, the lighting unit may form a fingerwheel.

The housing may further comprise a side wall, which may be annular and may form the flexible portion.

The lighting unit may comprise two parallel coaxial shaft portions, each rotatably supported in the body. The bulb may be accommodated in one of the shaft portions. The shaft portion or the entire housing may be formed of a translucent or transparent material.

The level or lighting unit may also include any one or more of the features of the preferred embodiments of the present invention in any feasible combination, as will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Drawings

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an illumination unit forming part of a level according to an embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the lighting unit of FIG. 1 incorporated into the interior components of a level according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of components of the level and lighting unit of FIG. 2 in use.

Fig. 3a is a schematic illustration of a modification to the level of fig. 3.

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a component of a level according to another embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of components of the level of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of an illumination unit forming part of the level of FIG. 4.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of components of the level of FIG. 4 in use.

Fig. 8 is a side view of the internal parts of the lighting unit of fig. 6. And

fig. 9 is an enlarged view of the components of fig. 8.

Detailed Description

Referring to fig. 1, a lighting unit 10 includes a housing 12, the housing 12 housing a battery and circuitry (not shown). The housing 12 includes a switch portion 14, which may be in the form of a button 14, which is movable relative to the remainder of the housing 12. The switch portion 14 may be integrally formed with the remainder of the housing 12 and connected to the housing by a thin flexible connection region 16 that extends around the switch portion 14. A bulb housing 18 is mounted in the housing 12 and houses a bulb which is connected to the battery by an electrical circuit. The housing 12 may have a flat rear surface 20 and the switch portion 14 may be arranged as a component forming a front surface 22 of the housing 12. The switch portion may have a substantially flat front surface 24, which may be substantially parallel to the rear surface 20. This may cause the housing to be gripped between the user's finger and thumb and squeezed, thereby depressing the switch portion relative to the remainder of the housing 12. The housing 12 of the lighting unit 10 may comprise a further switch 25, the switch 25 being movable between a first position and a second position, in which the switch 25 opens and closes an electrical circuit to turn off and on the lamp. In this case, the switch may be a slide switch with the first position being further from the bulb housing 18 than the second position. The switch 25 may be frictionally engaged so that the switch 25 will remain in either of the first and second positions unless the user is actively moving. This allows the light to be permanently turned on prior to insertion of the lighting unit into the level and to remain on while the level is in use and the lighting unit is inserted. In a modification thereto, there may be a slide switch, and the slide switch forms the only switch portion of the lighting unit without the push switch portion 14. Furthermore, the shape and orientation of the switch portion may of course be different from those specifically shown in the drawings.

Referring to fig. 2 and 3, the level includes a main body 32, and the main body 32 may include a vial housing (visual housing)34 in which a bubble vial 36 is mounted. The vial housing 34 or carrier may be formed as a separate molded part, for example of a plastic material, supported in a metal extruded outer part of the body, as shown in fig. 2, or the vial housing 34 or carrier may be an integral part of the body 32, which body 32 may be die cast. The vial housing 34 defines a vial cavity 38 in which the vial 36 is mounted. For example, the vial housing may define a pair of recesses 38a, 38b on opposite sides of the vial cavity 38 in which the ends of the vial 36 are supported. Typically, the vial 36 is formed as a square cross-sectional length of transparent plastic 38 with a liquid chamber 40 formed therein. The liquid chamber 40 has a generally circular cross-section and tapers towards each end and is filled with liquid and a small amount of air, thereby forming bubbles. A mark 42 is provided on the vial 36 to identify the central position occupied by the bubble when the water level is truly level.

Vial housing 34 may include a wall 46 that extends around at least one side of vial cavity 38 and separates vial cavity 38 from a light receiving cavity 50 in main body 32. In this case, the light receiving cavity 50 of the main body is partially defined by the light supporting portion 52 of the insert 54, the light supporting portion 52 of the insert 54 also forming the vial housing 34. The light supporting portion 52 of the insert 54 includes a side wall 56, the side wall 56 extending around three sides of the light receiving cavity 50, and the wall 46 of the vial cavity 38 extending between the fourth side of the light receiving cavity 50 and the vial cavity 38. The wall 46 of the vial cavity and optionally the entire insert 54 is made of a translucent or transparent plastic material so that when the bulb 18 of the lighting unit 10 is in the light receiving cavity 50, it will illuminate the vial cavity 38 and thus the vial 40.

The tops of the side walls 46, 56 are flush with one another so that the top plate 56 of the body 32 can be positioned against them. The top plate 56 may be a component of an extrusion including side walls and a bottom plate, or may be a separate component. The cover 56 has an opening 58 in which the vial chamber 38 is exposed, and has another opening 60 that exposes the light receiving chamber 50. A light support cover 62 is arranged to cover the opening 60 in the flat cover 56 and has an opening 64, the light support cover being arranged to receive the front end of the lighting unit 10 including the light bulb 18 through the opening 64. The opening 64 may be arranged to fit closely around the body 12 of the lighting unit to support the lighting unit 10 in position with the light bulb 18 of the lighting unit in the light receiving cavity 50. When the lighting unit 10 is supported in the opening 64, the switch portion 14 of the lighting unit may be exposed so that a user may turn the light on and off.

If a slide switch 25 is present, the opening 64 may be wide enough to allow the housing 12 to pass therethrough, but may also be too narrow to allow the slide switch 25 to pass therethrough. This means that each time the lighting unit is pushed into position in the lighting cavity, the switch 25 will be pushed to its "on" position by the surface of the cover 62 adjacent the opening 64. The light will remain on when the lighting unit 10 is removed from the level, and will not turn off until the user pushes the switch 25 to its "off" position.

In a modification to this arrangement, the switch 25 may be spring biased towards its closed position and may be arranged to move to its open position as described above when the lighting unit is inserted into the level and to move to its closed position under the influence of the spring bias when the lighting unit is removed from the level.

Referring to fig. 3a, the light supporting cover 62 may include an elastic switch sheet 66 integrally formed therewith or mounted thereon, the elastic switch sheet 66 being arranged to press against the switch portion 14 of the lighting unit 10 when the lighting unit 10 is fully inserted into the cover 62 and supported by the cover 62. In this case, the lamp will be permanently turned on as soon as the lighting unit 10 is fully inserted into the opening 64, and the lighting unit 10 can be slid into or out of the opening between its fully inserted position, in which the lamp will be turned on, and a fully or partially retracted position, in which the switch plate 66 will stop pressing on the switch part 14 and the lamp will be turned off.

Referring to fig. 4 and 5, in an alternative arrangement, the illumination unit may be arranged to be permanently supported in the light receiving cavity 50 of the level. For example, the insert 54a may be similar to the insert 54 of fig. 2, but may include two standoff portions 80, 82 arranged to support a rotatable lighting unit 84.

Referring also to fig. 6, the rotatable lighting unit comprises a housing 86, the housing 86 comprising a main part 88, the main part 88 being of a generally cylindrical shape having a central axis XX and two shaft parts 90, 92 extending from opposite sides of the main part 88. Both shaft members 90, 92 are circular in cross-section and are arranged coaxially with each other and with the main member 88 of the housing. The shaft members 90, 92 are arranged to be received and supported in the seat portions 80, 82 of the insert 54a so as to support the lighting unit 84.

The main part 88 of the housing comprises a curved outer wall 94, which curved outer wall 94 has the central axis XX of the lighting unit 84 as its centre of curvature and has two substantially annular side walls 96, 98 connecting the edges of the outer wall 94 to the base of the respective shaft part 90, 92. Referring to fig. 8, the housing 86 includes: a battery pack 100, typically formed of one or more button cells, the battery pack 100 being housed in the main part 88 of the casing; a circuit 102; and a bulb 103 or LED housed in one of the shaft portions 90 of the housing or arranged to direct light into one of the shaft portions 90. One of the shaft portions 90 may have a transparent end 90a through which light may be transmitted through the transparent end 90 a. The side of the lighting unit 84 on which the bulbs or LEDs are located may be referred to as the front of the unit and the other side as the rear. The circuit 102 comprises two contacts 106, 108 arranged to be in electrical contact with contacts of the light bulb 103, and comprises a conductor 110 connecting one of the contacts 106 to a first one of the terminals 111 of the battery pack 100. The circuit further comprises a switch contact 112, which switch contact 112 is connected to the other contact 108 of the contacts and is arranged just spaced apart from the second terminal 113 of the battery pack 100.

For example, as shown in fig. 8 and 9, the battery pack 100 may be fixed relative to one of the annular walls 98 of the housing and the switch contacts 112 may be mounted on the other annular wall 96 of the housing. The housing 86 may be formed of plastic or other flexible material such that if the two annular walls 96, 98 are pushed together, the switch contact 112 will be in contact with the second terminal 113 of the battery pack.

One of the annular walls of the housing, such as the front annular wall 96, may have a cam 114 formed thereon. The cam may be formed around the base of one of the shaft portions 90 of the housing. The cam may be generally annular and have a cam surface 116 comprising one or more raised portions 117 and one or more lowered portions 118 joined together by an inclined portion, and may vary in height in the axial direction of the lighting unit, so that the cam surface 116 has a varying height in the axial direction above the annular wall 96. It will be appreciated that the cam 114 may have a variety of shapes. For example, the lower member 118 may be omitted entirely, and only one or two of the upper member 117 and its associated inclined portion may be provided.

Referring again to fig. 5, the body of the level, such as the insert 54a, may include a switch surface 120, the switch surface 120 being arranged to act on the lighting unit 84 to turn the light bulb on and off as the lighting unit rotates in the body 32 of the level. The switch surface 120 may be adjacent one of the standoffs 80 and disposed to face the cam surface 116 on the lighting unit. In order for the switch surface to apply a force to the cam surface 116, it is desirable to prevent the illumination unit 84 as a whole from moving axially away from the switch surface 120. This may be accomplished, for example, by providing an end wall 122 to the rearward abutment section 82, which rear abutment section 82 is disposed against the rearward end of the rear shaft section 92 and prevents movement of the lighting unit 84 away from the switch surface 120. Obviously, other ways of preventing axial movement of the lighting unit may be used.

Referring to fig. 7, a cover 130, which may not necessarily be a separate part as shown, may be disposed over the light receiving cavity 50 and may have an aperture 132 therein to expose a portion of the outer wall 94 of the lighting unit 84. The lighting unit 84 may form a thumbwheel that can be easily rotated by a user pressing on the exposed portion of the outer wall 94 and pushing the thumbwheel in either direction of rotation of the lighting unit 84.

In operation, when the lower part 118 of the cam 114 is opposite the switch surface 120, the switch surface 120 is clear of the cam 114, and thus the two annular walls 96, 98 of the lighting unit are not pressed together. Thus, the switch contact 112 is away from the terminal 113 of the battery pack and the circuit is open and the lamp is not lit. Thus, this is the "off" position of the lighting unit 84. If the lighting unit 84 is rotated so that the raised portion 117 of the cam 114 is opposite the switch surface 120, the switch surface pushes the cam 114 and thus also the front wall 96 inwardly toward the rear wall 98. This brings the switch contacts into contact with the terminals 113 of the battery pack, thereby closing the circuit and lighting the light bulb. Light from the bulb is transmitted through the translucent side wall 46 of the vial cavity and illuminates the vial. This is therefore the "on" position of the lighting unit.

It will be understood that the details of the embodiments shown in the drawings may be modified in various ways obvious to the skilled person, and that the embodiments shown are purely non-limiting examples of how the invention may be practiced.

For example, in one variation, the light may be provided on an edge of the rotatable lighting unit, rather than in one of the ends. When the lighting unit is located within the level, the lighting unit may be oriented such that an outer wall of the lighting unit faces the vial.